Used as a chiral building block in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the production of protease inhibitors and other bioactive molecules. Its hydroxyl and acetamido functional groups allow for selective chemical modifications, making it valuable in asymmetric synthesis. Commonly employed in the development of antiviral and anticancer agents due to its ability to mimic amino acid structures in peptide-like compounds. Also utilized in the preparation of intermediates for natural product synthesis and in medicinal chemistry for structure-activity relationship studies.